Avatar: The New Guardian
by Techopath
Summary: After a hundred years the Avatar has returned. A young man must find out how his destiny is intertwined with the Avatar and rid the world of the Fire Nation's tyranny...
1. Chapter 1: The Light in the Dark

**Chapter One: The Light in the Dark**

_"The Avatar has returned!" _a man yelled out to my father. _"Shush, Tora!" _my father responded immediately. _"You know that even here, it's not safe yelling out things like that… Come inside." _He trails off as he pulls Tora inside the house.

I push myself away from the window and fall into my bed. _"The Avatar…" _I whisper. It's been about a hundred years since the last Avatar was around. Since then the Fire Nation has waged war around the world. Conquering… Destroying… Murdering…

Life here in the northern part of the Earth Kingdom is surprisingly peaceful. Most of the villages around here haven't been touched by the Fire Nation, but it's only a matter of time before they take interest in these parts. The villages here are easy prey, mostly farmers and fishermen. Most of the Earthbenders left to join the war, and those who remain are nothing but children, children who may have already lost their fathers to the war.

The soldiers stationed here are not the best either. I could probably take them down without even breaking a sweat. But then again if I did, I'd be hunted down. Firebending isn't actually celebrated around these parts. My father taught me a great lot about combat while I was growing up. He's an incredibly skilled warrior and bender. So much is expected from a former Fire Navy Commander.

Commander Talos Lakar, a legend in the Fire Navy's 12th fleet, at least, that's what he told me. He had quite a notorious reputation. Being such a highly revered commander, you wouldn't expect him to defect from the Fire Nation. And I'm pretty sure he didn't give it all up to live the lowly life of a peasant.

"_Tenkuu! Breakfast is ready!" _my mother yells out. I prop myself off my bed and take a quick look at the window. The small coop where our chicken-pigs are housed is the only thing in view. Our house is apart from other villages. Not far enough that we'd be completely separated, but not close enough that would make visits from other people that frequent.

"_Tenkuu, if you don't get your butt here right now I'll give ALL your Plumberries to Jubei!" _my mother yells once again. _"I'm coming! Sheesh." _I yell back. My mother knows just how to manipulate me. And my brother Jubei just enjoys it a little too much.

I make my way down the stairs and as usual, the fifth step lets out the scariest creak you could imagine, like it could break at anytime. Then again, I can't really complain, these stairs are older than I am. My father isn't the best carpenter, but he did the best he could. _"Hurry up, Tenkuu. We have a guest." _Said my father as he shoves a hunk of meat into his mouth. Tora waves at me _"Hey Tenkuu!" _Of course I already knew he was here. I wave back and smile at him as I walk towards the table and take my seat.

Tora is one of our family friends. He visits here every now and then to trade. Most of his visits are for business, sometimes just for company. His wife isn't actually the sociable type that he is. I like it when he comes around. It's like the house comes alive whenever he's here. Not that it's gloomy here when he's not, it just feels… better.

I let out a moan of satisfaction as I gobble down the last of my Plumberries. It's my favorite food, and my whole family knows it, even Tora. A loud belch comes out off me that had everyone laughing. When the laughter died down I asked almost instinctively _"So, what's this about the Avatar I hear?"_

There was complete silence. Everyone just stared at me, except for Jubei who was apparently as confused as I am. _"What did you hear?" _my father asked.

"_That he's back. Or she's back. Is it true?" _And once again silence followed.

"_Yes, it's been news for weeks now" _Tora replied.

"_That's great then! Maybe he can end this war once and for all! Or she." _I exclaimed.

"_You don't have to guess, Tenkuu. The Avatar is a young Airbender boy." _Tora explained as he sipped another spoonful of soup.

"_A young Airbender boy? That's impossible. The Air Nomads were wiped out a century ago." _My father retorts.

"_That's what's been going around. And rumor has it that he doesn't even know the other elements yet. He's not posing that much of a threat to the Fire Nation" _Said Tora.

"_Who cares? He's the Avatar! He's destined to bring balance to the world. If he doesn't know the other elements yet, he'll learn them. The important thing is he's back, and with that, hope as well." _I say with utmost confidence.

My father looks at me and says _"You shouldn't put too much faith in this boy, Tenkuu. He IS just a boy. You can't expect one boy to defeat an entire nation. Especially the Fire Nation"_

I stand and glare at him as if he gave me an insult. _"How could you say that? It's like you've given up already! I would have thought the great Commander Talos Lakar would keep on fighting till the end!" _

And just like that I was on the floor. I can feel my face throbbing. Everything was hazy and every sound was muffled. My mother came for me, but I can barely make out what she's saying. _"Are you okay?" _I think that's what it was. I nod and stand up. My vision's still a little blurry, but clear enough to see my father walk out and slam the door shut.

"_You should lie down." _A sound finally makes it into my ears. _"I'll talk to your father, go rest in your room." _My mother said as she walked towards the front door.

I lie down in my bed and start to drift off in my thoughts _"The Avatar is back. It's only a matter of time before this war is over."_ I think to myself. Then I remember what my father said. The Avatar is just a boy, with only one element mastered. What could he do against an entire nation of Firebenders?

I sit up and hear my mother and father yelling. They're fighting again because of me. Which believe me, happens a lot. I've had my fair share of mishaps, a little too much if you ask me. And it's the same every time. My father gets mad at me, and my mother goes ahead and "talks" to him. I know I should do that on my own, it's just my mother doesn't give me the chance to. Plus the last time I "talked" with my father we burned down the chicken-pig coop and I had to rebuild it as "punishment".

I need something to get my mind off this. I move to my workstation and start fiddling with my homemade lenses. They're not that hard to make actually. I get some sand from the beach, put it in my molding pot, cover it with my hand and just blast away. I hold one against the sunlight and it contorts the light into a weird image on the table. I look at it and I can't help but smile. Light has always fascinated me. The way it moves, the way it can be bent by mirrors or lenses, the fact that without it, our eyes would be completely useless.

I twist the lens a little bit and I accidentally hit my eye with the light. A white flash hits me and I pull my head back a little. I started to think about Firebending and the first time I used it, it nearly blinded me. My father was nice enough not to warn his son not to Firebend so close to his eyes. No one could really blame me, I was 6, barely able to understand what "Fire" was. That was the first time my father got mad at me and my mother had to "talk" to him. I understand why he was mad, he was just concerned, he might have actually been mad at himself not me.

I snap back to reality when I hear the front door slam again. From the sound of it, it was my mother who slammed it. I peak downstairs and see them hugging it out. Like I said earlier, it's the same every time. Dad gets mad, Mom gets mad for Dad getting mad, and Dad goes after her. Kind of an old worn out story, but I guess that's love.

I return to my workstation and accidentally knock off one of the lenses. Mid-fall it shines a light in my eye again. Then it came to me. How light behaves. How it moves. How it bends. It's all so clear to me now. My face just can't help but make the biggest smile.

It's almost nightfall and I'm done with my chores. I hear my mother calling me for dinner and I reply quickly. I don't want her to threaten me with Plumberries again, I wont give Jubei the satisfaction. I go inside and take my seat. My father apologized for punching me out earlier. Honestly, I thought he used something to knock me out, something hard, but then again, it was a fist of an old Navy Commander, for all I know it might be harder than steel, because it sure as hell felt like it.

I accept his apology and apologize myself. I know his past is not something he's proud of. Bringing it up was just me asking for it. We laugh it off, like usual, and go on and eat. No one mentions the Avatar at all. Maybe they're trying to avoid the subject or just wanted me to bring it up. Which I don't want to do since the last time I had that conversation I ended up flat on the floor. I talk about Plumberries instead, and how fortunate we are that it grows in our garden since usually Plumberries are only found on mountaintops.

I washed up and went to bed. My room is dark, only the light from the window to keep it lit. I begin to visit my realization earlier on how light behaves. I look to my right hand completely in the dark in the far side of the bed and thought _"It's worth a shot…"_

Raising my right hand slowly I think about light, focusing on it as if I was trying to make something happen. I manage to set off embers of fire, but I push down my Firebending training and focus on light. I was about to give out when something finally clicked.

The pitch black area where my right hand was, is now bathed in a white light, a light not unlike the moon's coming from my window. But it couldn't possibly be from the window, I'm a good two meters away from it. I look at my hand closely and move it back and forth. And then I come to the conclusion.

My hand is the light… I'm bending light.

"_Finally!" _A voice speaks from the far side of the room.

"_I've been waiting for you for a long time…" _

"_Lightbender…"_


	2. Chapter 2: The Strings of Fate

**Chapter Two: The Strings of Fate**

_"Who are you?" _I ask as I position my left fist ready to Firebend. _"Relax, Tenkuu. I am not here to harm you. If I was, you would be gone already." _The voice replies. And my instincts lead me to believe him. He's concealed in the dark, if he wanted me dead, he could have done so already. As for my name, he could have seen that on the pillar downstairs with all our names on it. Plus this "Lightbender" thing makes me curious. But I have to know who or what I'm dealing with.

_"Show yourself." _I say with a stern voice. _"Oh no, my boy, I can't do that. Unless you want your eyes burned out." _He replies with a slight chuckle, like he's playing with me or something.

_"I can deal with ugly if that's what you mean." _He laughs as a reply. _"No. I mean literally have your eyes burned out." _As his words trail off I see a blinding light come from the corner. I grunt and shut my eyes.

_"And that was just my hand. Do you understand now?" _He says with a hint of amusement. _What can he possibly mean? His hand? His hand is light? Hand… Light… My hand!_

I look to my hand and it is still illuminated by a white light. _"Yes, young Lightbender. Light." _Said the voice. _"What do you mean by Lightbender?" _I yell out.

_"Tenkuu, who are you talking to?" _asked my mother as she lit my lamp. I quickly look at the corner but no one was there, just my workstation. _"Tenkuu? What is it?" _she asks as she stares at me with confusion. _"Nothing" _I reply _"I just thought I saw something."_

_ "Well alright then. Go to bed, darling." _She says as she shuts off the lamp and goes away.

I call for the Man with the shiny hand, but there was no response.

_Could it all have been an illusion? A spirit? A dream? No, I'm awake. My mother came in and talked to me. I'm sure I'm awake… Ow!_

A sharp pinch shoots from my leg. I look at the side of my bed and see a gnarly figure beside it with luminescent yellow eyes. It looks at me and jerks up into my bed positioning its head in front of my face and then proceeds to lick it.

"_Nekko, stop it!"_ I say happily as our pet tiger-dog licks my face like a lollipop. She stops and drops down to the floor. I thought she was going to leave but instead she sits at my bedside, staring at my face. I stoke her head and tell her I'm fine. She lets out a moan and leaves.

Nekko's always been able to sense distress inside the house, whether it involves intruders or small problems like mom's missing purse. She's been in our family for as long as I can remember, and I owe my life to her, Jubei too. If she wasn't around, my brother and I would have been killed by Fire Nation soldiers that passed through near the mountains a few years ago.

It was a very dark night then. Jubei and I snuck out to pick some Nightpears that can easily be spotted when dark. We made our way to the base of the nearest mountain and began picking when suddenly a blast of fire shot toward the tree I was climbing.

It was a Firebender and his squad. _"Well well, what do we have here?" _he yelled. _"A boy lost in the woods, picking out glowing fruit? Or a vigilante team prepping for an ambush? "_

I was confused by his accusation but I was too busy thinking of a way to escape so I didn't give him a response. He didn't know about Jubei, which was good. I could probably run and lead them off while Jubei ran home and got my father. But even then it would have taken too long, and I couldn't possibly survive an entire squad of Firebenders chasing me.

"_Come out now! I know you're out there! Hiding in the trees!" _He yelled out as he set fire to random trees around him. _"Come out, you cowards!"_

It was not a good sign. The man was paranoid. His squad was probably raided by the vigilantes he kept mentioning. Which explained the weary and restless looks on his men's faces, and the state of mind he was in.

I had no other plan. Jumping off and trying to hide would have been useless. They'd probably burn the entire tree line down. Leading them off was the best option. I was ready to jump when Jubei came out of the bushes and called for me.

The Firebenders quickly switched their attention to him. My heart was pounding like a drum, incredibly loud and incredibly fast. I couldn't lose my brother, not like that. I jumped off the tree and positioned myself between the Firebenders and Jubei. I took my stance and prepared for the worst.

"_Hah! What are you going to do, boy?" _The commander snidely asked.

What was I going to do? Those were hard trained Fire Nation soldiers, the best I could have hoped to do was make out a few shots before they eventually took me down. But still, I couldn't let my brother get killed.

"RUN! Get out of here! I'll hold them off!" I shouted at Jubei. And he did. A soldier tried to follow him, but a flame blast ended his life quickly.

_"You're a Firebender! And a traitor!" _the commander yelled out as he shot at me with flame strikes. He wasn't very accurate. The paranoia and the restlessness must have gotten to him. But still, there was an entire squad, even if they were all that inaccurate one of their strikes would be bound to hit me. I fired back and took another one down while they continued to unleash a volley of fire at me. My father taught me a lot, but at that time I was only twelve, he hadn't taught me the advanced stuff yet, and fighting an entire squad of Firebenders was in there somewhere.

I was backed up into a tree and they all had a pretty clear shot of me when out of nowhere Nekko lunged in and sniped another Firebender.

They were distracted. I had the chance to attack so I moved in. Three crescent flame strikes to their faces took the rest of them out. I stood there in shock as the embers from their flaming uniforms drifted in the wind. I had killed them all. Ten men dead, and it was because of me. Eleven if you count the one Nekko took down.

I had never taken a life before, and I had just taken eleven of them inside a few minutes. I told myself I didn't have a choice, it was me or them. And then realized how selfish I was. But it no longer mattered. They were Fire Nation, they were the enemy, even though a part of them was in me. Then I began to think that maybe that's why I found it so easy to kill. That part of them inside me, the fire that seems so cold.

I snapped out of it and realized Nekko had been licking me the entire time. I felt a little squeamish when I noticed the blood stains around his mouth. _"Tenkuu!" _A voice emanated from the trees. It was my mother and father. I broke into tears and ran for them. My mother caught me and hugged me so tight I could have sworn I heard a bone crack.

_"It's alright, now. You're safe" _she said while stroking my hair.

My father took a quick scan of the area. There were none of them left, none alive that is. He seemed astounded that a twelve year old boy eliminated a whole squad of Firebenders. His face showed a mixture of relief and gladness, then suddenly, concern.

He turned to me and said _"Don't you ever sneak out of the house again! Do you hear me?" _I nodded repeatedly and he hugged me. He was sort of mad, but I think the fact that his sons were safe trumped it pretty good.

Jubei and I were punished accordingly and my Firebending lessons were suspended for months. We never spoke of the matter again and just let it die down. Even now, after four years no one mentions it, the most traumatic experience of my life.

Why? Shouldn't they have talked to their son who almost died, their son who killed eleven men, and maybe explained some things? I just don't understand.

I close my eyes and drift to sleep. Maybe in my dreams I'll find answers…

"_HNNNNNNNNNNNNNG!"_

A sharp sound awakens me, a sound not unlike when metal scrapes other metal only it's sharper and eerier. I cover my ears but it doesn't help. I open my eyes and behold a fully lit room, incredibly shiny like everything, even the walls have been polished. The sound stops and I feel a presence behind me. I tried to use a flame blast but nothing came out.

"_You can't Firebend here, my boy…" _said the old man whose voice I recognize from the encounter in my room. I had completely forgotten about this Lightbender business from all the reminiscing.

He's dressed in a light red and white robe and has a long beard. Quite a generic look for an old man if you ask me. _"I believe we were interrupted earlier. And as I recall you had questions." _He says as he grabs one of the shiny objects in the room. _"Yes." _I reply._ "Who are you? And what do you want from me?"_

"_I go by many names, but you may call me Shen. What I want from you is your decision." _ He answers.

_What he wants from me is my decision? What kind of twisted wisdom is that? Still, I have to find out what's happening here. _I take a step forward and say _"Alright Shen, my decision is for you to tell me everything. Why you're here, why I'm here, and what this "Lightbender" thing is." _

I assume that was the right answer since he smiled at me and gestured for me to follow him. He stops and suddenly the room darkens and all that I can see is him and a small sphere of light.

"_Talking is an outdated form of communication. You would understand better if I show you…" _And before I could ask, the sphere of light started to form images, rapid changing images that I couldn't make sense out of. I come closer to it, but as I take the first step I start to get sucked in. I try to struggle but the sphere eventually envelops me.

_Flashes… Shion… Lightbenders… Fire Nation… Destruction… The Avatar… Sozin's comet…_

I drop to my knees and start panting. So much information, so many details, absorbed in such a short time, even I couldn't catch it all up, but it's there, it's all there, in my head. Not all are useful at the moment but one piece of information was.

_"You're the Sun Spirit." _I say as I pan my head towards Shen.

_"Remarkable. Those who experienced that before you were not so strong. They passed out for hours. But then again, you are already asleep."_

And right after he said that everything became blurry, it's like I'm being pulled away by a powerful force.

"_The Winter Solstice" _Shen utters before his image succumbed to the blur.

I feel a slight jolt followed by a loud thump. I wake up on the floor of my room, my dusty old wooden floor. I just remembered I hadn't cleaned my room in over a week now. I sit up and daylight hits me just right, but some of it's getting in my eyes, so I bend it away. It feels almost natural.

"_Hey, Ten. You alright?" _my brother asked while stroking Nekko's head.

"_I'm fine, I'll be down in a minute." _I reply.

"_Looks like you're already "down". Hahaha. See ya downstairs." _he mockingly comments.

Normally I'd get him for that, but I only have one thing on my mind right now and that's The Avatar.

I can't necessarily look for him. I'm sixteen and my parents need me here to work… for now. And more importantly, I have no idea where he is. It's going to be a real challenge meeting up with him. But from what I saw in the sphere, I need only let the strings of fate do their job…

And there's another thing I have to look out for…

_The Winter Solstice._


	3. Chapter 3: Clarity of Action

**Chapter Three: Clarity of Action**

Green… Tranquil… The smell of fresh grass… The sound of leaves swaying with the wind… The skies are cloudy, yet the sun shines brightly. The feeling of peace and serenity entirely surrounds me. I want it to last forever, but it doesn't…

The sun started to dim and darkness started to envelop everything. I try to move away, to escape somehow, but I was paralyzed and soon the darkness enveloped me as well.

I wake up on the floor panting and covered with sweat. It had been weeks since my encounter with Shen, and I've been having dreams like that ever since. I could only guess what it means, but I'm certain it's not something good.

I wash myself off and head down. After I had breakfast, my mother hands me a list and sends me off to go shopping. I grab one of our baskets and step outside. The nearest village is about an hour away on foot, but luckily I have my trusty pet tiger-dog to ride on.

Nekko loves it when I ride her. Personally, I wouldn't like people climbing on my back telling me to take them somewhere, but Nekko couldn't be more excited. Even putting on the saddle gets her tail wagging. It's one of our many bonding activities.

We reach the village and head straight for the market. Bringing a tiger-dog into a place filled with food isn't exactly the best idea so I leave Nekko beside an alley and tell her to stay put. No one's really going to try and steal her here, the people in this place have better things to do, plus a seven hundred pound tiger-dog isn't something you would want to take on.

I look at the list and the first one there was _"Cabbages"_. I take a quick scan of the market and I spot a man with a wagon full of it. I usually buy vegetables from Old Hem's but those cabbages look so nice I might just make an exception.

As I begin to walk towards the merchant a young Earthbender boy jumps over his wagon and Earthbends the ground under it causing the wagon to fly into a group of people who appear to be chasing him.

_"MY CABBAGES!" _The man yells out loud.

Poor guy, he must have lost a lot of money with that. But I'm sure he'll be fine, that kind of stuff only happens once or twice.

I'm betting the boy from earlier stole something from those other guys and thought he could get away with it since he's a bender. He was right though, non-benders are definitely handicapped in a fight against benders, and the odds of catching one are very slim even if it's just a kid. I find it extremely unfair. Benders should never use their powers to exploit others. It's like what the Fire Nation does only in a smaller scale. With power comes responsibility, and if one cannot handle that responsibility, then they don't deserve the power.

While the merchant picks up what's left of his cabbages I head to Old Hem's, my usual supplier. I see a young woman setting up some vegetables on one of the stands, but it's obviously not Old Hem. Her daughter Takai sometimes tends to the shop whenever she's not around. Takai's one of my "sort of" friends. We get to talk once and a while every time I go into town but whenever we do, she usually avoids eye contact, purses her lips and blushes when I look at her and smiles awkwardly when I try to lighten the mood with a joke or two. I don't think she likes me very much, or she's afraid of me or something.

"_Hey, Takai. How's it going?" _I greet her with a smile.

She turns around and gets startled, dropping all the vegetables she was arranging. _"H-Hey Tenkuu. N-Nice to see you again!" _she says while making that awkward smile she does.

_"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." _I say with a puzzled look on my face.

I buy off some cabbages, and since it's on the list, some carrots and onions too. The whole time Takai's hands were shaking, and she still had that awkward smile on her face. I ask if she was alright and she just smiles and says she's fine with no eye contact what so ever.

_"Thanks Takai, see you soon." _I say to her as I place the last cabbage in my basket. She says "You're welcome" and brushes her hair back again, without as much of a glimpse at me. I have had enough, I put my hand on her cheek and look into her eyes and ask _"Is something wrong?"_

Her eyes widen and her face turns red like an apple. Her mouth opens but no words come out. She breaks away and hurries inside and closes the door behind her. By doing that, I think I may have made it worse.

What could I possibly have done? I'm always nice to her, I compliment her at times, I even gave her a homemade bracelet that one time, yet she acts like I'm going to set her on fire or something. I just don't get it.

Then again, I've always been confused by people, opposite reactions to situations, complex social norms and crazy outdated traditions. I would rather deal with animals than people. With them it's simple, no need for fancy words and "saying what's appropriate", just honest communication.

I shop for the rest of the items on the list and finally got to the last one, _"Fan". _I found this peculiar. No one in my family uses fans; it's always breezy up there. Maybe it's for fanning out the coal while roasting something; I did buy some meat and coal earlier.

After walking for a while I stumble onto a small fan shop near the alley I left Nekko in. I take a quick peek just to be sure she was still there. And she was, along with a few kids playing with her. I don't really mind, despite Nekko's size and appearance she's the friendliest tiger-dog you will ever meet. She plays with everyone, mostly children who aren't scared off by her ferocious look.

I ask the kids playing not to jump on her so much or pull on her tail. Nekko hates it when people do that and might hurt one of them if they keep doing it. I tell Nekko to be nice and that it won't be long before we head home. She licks me in the face and I head for the fan shop.

The stand has an incredible variety of fans, but only one gets my attention. A plain gold fan, made out of thin sheets of metal. It's tough and a little heavy yet is still a decent fan, I wouldn't be surprised if this was used as a weapon. I ask the shopkeeper where it came from. He says he got it from Kyoshi Island when it was attacked a few weeks ago.

"_By the Fire Nation?" _I ask him, even though I already knew the answer. He nods yes. Apparently one ship suddenly came and started to raid the town, but it wasn't for the usual reasons, they were looking for something, someone…

"_The Avatar…"_ The shopkeeper whispers.

I suddenly remembered what I'm supposed to be doing. I should be training, becoming stronger. The Lightbender is The Avatar's guardian, his "shield and guiding light" at least that's what the sphere told me. I haven't been honing my skills at all. All the combat training my father taught me is all I have, and I'm certain that's not going to be enough. If I am to protect The Avatar I need to master the only edge I have against his enemies. _Lightbending._

"_You gonna buy that?" _The shopkeeper asks me with the most puzzled face. I must have drifted off again. I have to stop doing that around people. I buy the Kyoshi fan and another simpler fan. The other fan is for my mother, but the one from Kyoshi is mine, I have a feeling I'll need it someday.

A loud crash catches my attention. The kids from earlier come rushing out of the alley where I left Nekko in. I bolt towards the alley and find three Earth Kingdom soldiers hassling Nekko, one of them swinging around a chain.

"_You must be the owner. Don't you know that it is… illegal to bring a wild animal into town. I'm afraid we're going to have to take him" _said the one holding a mace.

He's lying of course, wild animals roam around this village all the time. What's rare are tiger-dogs. Their pelt and fangs can be sold for a very hefty price. Nekko's not as big as the usual tiger-dog, and these bastards think they can take her down easily. They did not however, take into factor her owner. But even though they're obviously bad people using their status as "soldiers" to do whatever they want, I have to at least try and resolve this peacefully.

"_I'm sorry, can't you just give us a warning? I swear I won't bring her into town anymore." _I say to them.

"_Sorry kid, we have to enforce the law. If we make exceptions, that just wouldn't be fair to others, now would it?" _said the man with the mace.

I knew it. They think we're easy prey and they're not going to back off. We're going to have to run. I know they won't chase us all the way because they have no legitimate reason to take Nekko. We have to be subtle though, simply hightailing it out of there won't work in our advantage.

"_Alright" _I say _"I'll just get my stuff off the saddle." _I put my basket aside and climb on Nekko then I slap her on the side, our code for "Run". She jumps out of the alley onto the street. I thought we would be home-free but these "soldiers" were a little smarter than I anticipated. Three other guys were waiting for us outside, blocking our way. A chain whips out from the alley and tangles Nekko's legs. She roars out and manages to knock one of the guys out with a swing of her arm. I jump out and take the other two down with a few jabs to some pressure points. I'm really glad dad taught me how to do that or that would have gone a different way.

The three with the chain aren't strong enough to pull Nekko away. I take one of the soldiers' swords and try to smash it but it doesn't work. I have no choice then. I drop the sword and dash toward the other three. One of them lunges his spear at me and misses. I push it down, step on it and break it off with my foot. Then using the spear's shaft I knock him unconscious. The mace guy charges at me and breaks the shaft, but I manage to sweep his leg and he goes down. I grab a piece of the shaft and bludgeon the chain guy with it. He didn't put out much of a fight.

I was ready to take Nekko and get the hell out of there when I hear a footstep behind me. When I turned around, Nekko had already tackled the mace guy.

"_Nekko stop!" _I yell out.

Just in time too. She was ready to tear the guy's head off.

"_It didn't have to go this way. I really hate having to resort to violence." _I say as I kneel beside him. "_Now how about we just forget about all this, okay?"_ With Nekko's legs still bearing down on him and her face right up in his ready to bite it off on my command, he didn't really have much of a choice but to agree.

"_Good. But be warned. If I ever see you morons trying to take advantage of anyone ever again, I'm going to let her decide your fate." _with that I gesture Nekko to let go. I grab my basket and we head home.

As we ride back, I can't help but wonder if I had done the right thing. Was it right to beat up "soldiers" who are "protecting" the village because they were trying to take Nekko away?

_Of course it was! They're bullies, and they needed to be put in their place! They were going to kill Nekko for her fangs and pelt. You didn't do anything wrong, in fact, you were protecting your pet, your companion, your bestfriend…_

I struggle to rationalize my actions but then I realize that there's no point to it. It already happened, there is no point in dwelling on the reasons, I just need to be prepared for the repercussions. Then it hits me.

_What's going to happen when I meet with The Avatar? What repercussions will that bring? To my family… to me…_

Tomorrow's the solstice. Tomorrow I'll have some more clarity about this, about all of this.

_I hope…_


	4. Chapter 4: Blood and Knives

**Chapter Four: Blood and Knives**

_Boots, check. Survival knife, check. Hunting Jacket, check. Backpack, check. Tiny candles, check. Weird oil that dad puts on you, check._

I must have run through this list dozens of times already, and yet I still feel agitated.

It's dawn, I didn't sleep, I couldn't. The mere thought of what will unfold today just makes me… restless.

Shen's sphere gave me vast knowledge about almost everything, from being a Lightbender to the beginning of the war. But even so, it feels… incomplete. Like I was only given a few pieces of a torn tapestry. I can see the pieces perfectly, but I can't see the whole, I can't see how everything's connected.

I'm afraid of what I might discover, yet I can't wait to find out what. Is it natural to feel both fear and excitement towards something? I'm scared to find out something gruesome about the past or the present for that matter. But still, it's trumped by the feeling of finally making sense out of everything.

For weeks I've been piecing every last bit of information together, Shion, the war, Sozin's comet, but the best I could do was guess. And it's been egging on me ever since, like an itch I just can't scratch. But today, it will all be answered, it has to be. And I'll have plenty of time till sunset to ask all the questions.

I have to make them count though, the winter solstice only happens once in a year. It's the only time when this world and the spirit world are in full sync. Of course, there's the summer solstice, but that's months away, and I can't possibly wait that long.

Also, meditation is the only way I can connect with the spirit world, and I'm not very flexible when it comes to that. The only place I've been able to do it was at the summit of Mount Yun where my father used to take me to. It's quiet there, serene, the only place I've ever felt at peace. But it takes about half a day to get there so I have to start early, but not too early that my family would suspect something. They have no knowledge of what's going on… yet.

I've thought about telling them, but what exactly was I going to say? "_Hey Mom, Dad, Jubei, guess what! I'm a Lightbender and I'm going to war to protect The Avatar!"_

They'd probably laugh at me. Well Jubei would, my father would probably kill me for making fun of the war, and my mother would just smile and ask if I'm feeling ok.

I could demonstrate Lightbending… if I still had it. I lost the ability to control light just a few days after I got it. Well, it's not exactly lost, just somehow locked inside me, only I'm missing the key. It's another reason why I'm dying to get things started.

Dawn breaks and soon I hear the whimsy footsteps of my brother, followed by my mother's light and graceful ones. As usual, I don't hear my father's. He doesn't get up until about noon on Sundays, which is perfect, because if I told him I'd be going to Mount Yun, he'd want to tag along. And I'd rather not have anyone with me. This is my calling, my responsibility; I have to take this path on my own.

I head downstairs and immediately bump into my brother.

"_Watch it!"_ he says. _"You bumped into me, moron"_ I say, and then I flick him on his forehead.

"_Whatever, I'm going back to bed." _he replies as he goes back upstairs.

His senses dull. Anyone could sneak up on him without even trying. It's both a bad thing and a good thing, well good for me. It's something I've exploited throughout the years that has brought me incredible amounts of joy, and also his fear of monkey-like creatures.

I grin and step into the kitchen where my mother is preparing breakfast.

"_Good morning, Tenkuu. Want some eggs?" _She says without even turning around.

Unlike Jubei, my mother is as sharp as razorblade. Nothing can get by her unnoticed. Even the slightest hint can set her off. It must be the Waterbending training. Then again, she is training Jubei and he's oblivious to most of the world, so it must be something else.

"_Looks like we'll be the only ones eating…" _I tell her.

"_Oh, well then, like the usual…" _then she smiles.

She is right of course. Almost every Sunday morning we'd be the only ones out of bed early, so we get to chat, just the two of us. And she's an absolute delight to talk to, smart and funny at the same time, it's no wonder my father left the Fire Nation for her. And it's probably the reason why I'm so much closer to her than anyone in my family, or any other person for that matter.

She sets down a plate of eggs on the table and takes a seat.

"_Eat up!" _she says with a smile.

I grab some bread and sit down to eat. A few seconds later I notice that my mother has been staring at me for some time. But before I could mouth anything off, she leans in closer and asks:

"_Something wrong, Ten?"_

_Damn._ It's probably my droopy eyes, or the obvious restlessness on my face that set her off. I have to think of something, fast.

"_Nothing, I just didn't get much sleep last night." _I reply

That should suffice. And I didn't even have to lie, I didn't get much sleep last night, I didn't sleep at all.

"_Because of what happened in town yesterday?" _she adds.

That's right, I told her about that. I couldn't really hide it; she always tends to Nekko after she comes home from a trip, my mother is as attached to Nekko as I am. And last night, she discovered her wounds from the fight. As she healed Nekko's legs, I told her everything. We agreed to keep it a secret from my father since we both know how he would react to me getting into a fight, especially with Earth Kingdom "military".

"_Yeah" _I reply. And it's not much of a lie either. As much as I tried to stop rationalizing, I still couldn't help thinking that maybe I didn't give diplomacy much of a shot, that maybe I could have avoided a conflict if I was smarter, more charismatic, like my mother.

I've always hated conflict. I try to avoid it when I can, and I usually succeed. But those that I couldn't, ended up in brawls, or worse. I'm afraid that one day something just snaps inside me, and what happened _that night _would happen again. But I won't let it, not again, not while I'm on this mission.

"_Well you shouldn't feel bad. You did the right thing." _She says "_Those soldiers were nothing more but bullies. You can't let bullies push you over and have their way all the time. Someone had to stand up to them, teach them a lesson." _She pauses for a second and adds.

"_I would have done the same… And for that, I'm proud of you."_

And just like that, all my anxiety seemed to just fly away. This is one of the reasons why I love my mother so much, she always knows what to say. Even her lectures are inspiring. I wouldn't know what to do without her.

"_Thanks, mom, you have no idea how much I needed that…"_

"_Anything for my little man." _She says, again with a smile.

And I couldn't help but smile as well. But I have to start moving, or I'm going to miss my window.

I tell her that I'm heading for Mount Yun to meditate. She stops for a while, like she's trying to analyze something.

"_Oh, should I wake your father?" _she asks.

"_No! I mean, I-I think I'm old enough to go there by myself. I'll be back before dark, I promise"_

Again, she pauses, analyzing my response like some kind of interrogator. Could she know? Impossible, she's good, but not that good. Then again, I've never kept a secret from her until now, I haven't had much experience.

I wait for her to ask me what's really going on and I start thinking of excuses, all of them were horrible, my mother would see right through them. If she does ask, I'm doomed to cave in.

But instead she smiles asks if I was going to take Nekko with me.

"_No, she's not fully healed yet. She's had enough adventuring for now. I'll be fine on my own, I swear." _I answer.

"_Alright… You best get a move on if you want to get home before dark. It's a half-day hike you know. "_

"_Y-Yeah, I know. I better go get my things then." _I reply and quickly run upstairs.

What was that? I know she suspects something, but she's letting me go. Is she up to something? I'm confused. This is definitely one of the down sides of having a wise and highly intelligent mother. I can never really tell what her intentions are. But I don't need to worry about that right now, I'm just glad she didn't try to stop me.

I put on my boots and jacket, grab my pack and head back down pass the kitchen.

"_Tenkuu"_

Damn… Maybe I spoke too soon.

"_For the road" _she says, and then throws me a satchel.

I catch it and look inside. It's half filled with fruits and dried meat.

How could I have forgotten about food? It's supposed to be on top of the list. I guess the lack of sleep had something to do with it.

"_Don't forget to restock that on your trip, we're running a little low. Get some nice flowers too if you can." _She says enthusiastically.

She's not only letting me go, she's giving me food for it and an extra assignment. Could this be what she was thinking of earlier? Use your son to get free produce from the mountain?

Am I over thinking this? I'm even more confused than I was earlier…

"_I will. And probably get some Plumberries too." _I reply. It's not really necessary, since we have a garden full of them, but the ones from the mountain strangely taste better than the ones we grow, and I had to say something to break off the tension with something other than silence.

I hate lying to my mother, mostly because she's a diabolical genius.

She smiles and I smile back, then she starts cleaning the kitchen.

My mother sure does smile a lot. There hasn't been a day in my life that I didn't get to see her smile. She's a very happy person. Which is a surprise considering what she's been through in her life. But maybe that's why she's so happy. After all the suffering and loss the war has brought her, she now lives a peaceful life with a family who loves her as much as she loves them. Although, very soon her eldest will be going into war, and I'm afraid the peaceful life she has grown accustomed to all these years will start to get less peaceful as time passes by.

But first, her eldest must find the answers to the questions that have been bothering him for weeks.

I do a last run of my checklist as I open the front door.

The sunrise is beautiful, but something else grabs my attention. A girl, weary and tired, liked she had been up all night stands on our doorstep. She looks up, and I recognize her immediately.

"_Takai! What are you doing here?" _

"_Tenkuu, you have to help me! You're the only one I know who can!" _She pleads.

"_What's wrong? What happened" _I ask.

She then proceeds to ramble about numerous things, most of which I couldn't make sense of. All I got was her mother didn't come home yesterday; no one has seen her at all, and something about pumpkins.

I think I got the gist of it, but she's still going.

"_Takai, slow down. I think I get it."_ I say.

She stops talking, but she's still shaking. She's obviously been out all night. I take off my hunting jacket and wrap it around her. Her shaking seems to lessen but her body is still trembling, so I guide her inside the house to warm up.

"_Did you walk all the way here?" _I ask her.

She nods.

My mother comes out from the kitchen carrying a bucket of water and tells me to "fix it up" for her. Our code for: heat it with Firebending. I take it and step into the kitchen out of Takai's sight and "fix it up" until it steams a little. I take the bucket back to my mother and set it down. She then dips a towel in it and puts it on Takai's forehead.

Luckily, she has no fever. But still, she's been up all night, Takai needs to get some rest.

"_Stay here for now, Takai, you need rest. I'll go look for Old Hem." _I say.

But just as I was about to leave, she grabs tightly onto my arm.

"_No, I'm fine. I'm coming with you." _

She then stands and puts on a serious face, something I have never seen from such a delicate flower like Takai, totally unexpected.

"_You've done your part, now you should just stay here and rest."_

But she doesn't let go, instead she looks at me with an intense gaze, so determined, so unwavering. Takai might be a gentle kind of girl, but she's not one to give up, especially on her mother.

"_I'm coming with you." _She firmly utters.

She's not letting go of me that much is certain. I wait for my mother to intervene, but she just sits there, observing. She either agrees with her or she's wants me to get Takai to back down on my own, an argument I'm not exactly winning.

"_Takai, you're exhausted. You-"_

"_I'm fine! I came here to ask for help, not to just lie here while my mother is out there missing!"_

Again, I'm taken by surprise. I had never heard Takai yell at anyone before, let alone at me. She's always been the type who just listens to conversations and casually laughs at some jokes. I feel like I'm seeing an entirely new side of her. Is this really the same girl who's afraid of dragonflies simply because of their name?

"_Takai…" _I say with her unwavering gaze still locked at me.

"_What if it was your mother, Tenkuu? Wouldn't you want to do everything you can just to find her?" _Her voice cracks and I can see tears running down from her eyes. What would I do if it was my own mother who was missing?

I turn to my mother and the answer comes to me in a heartbeat.

_Anything…_

And no one, not even the most powerful person in the world could stop me.

"_Alright then" _I say _"Let's not waste any more time."_

She lets go of me, wipes her tears away and smiles. _"Thank you" _she whispers.

My mother just gives me a nod and tells us to be careful.

We step outside and I see the sun slowly rising from the mountains. Then I remember what I'm really supposed to be doing right now. I ask myself, what's more important. The thing that could influence and possibly end the war that has been going on for a century or finding a friend's missing mother?

I didn't have to think hard to know the answer to that. I stop in my tracks and Takai turns to me.

"_Tenkuu, what's wrong?" _she asks

"_Takai, listen."_

She gives me a worried look.

"_Your mother… She's been gone for a while…" _

"_Yeah..." _She responds with a hint of fear in her voice.

I take a deep breath and sigh.

"_Time is already against us… That means…" _I say reluctantly.

Her face turned from worried to afraid, and then to surprised when I turned to my left and whistled.

And from the yard, a tiger-dog charges and tackles me to the ground.

"_Easy, girl!" _I tell Nekko.

She gets off and sits beside me, wagging her tail. I dust myself off and look back at Takai.

"_We're going to need a faster form of transportation… Care for a ride?" _I say to her.

At first she seemed reluctant, but then she put her brave face on again and approached Nekko.

They've known each other since Nekko was a little cub, so she's not afraid of her. But Takai has been known to freak out when she rides animals. It's probably the reason why she walked all the way here from town. We don't have a choice on that matter though. If we want to find Old Hem we're going to have to work fast, and riding is definitely faster than walking.

"_You scared me there for a bit." _She says to me.

"_You shouldn't have been, Nekko does that to me every time."_

"_No, not that." _She adds. _"I thought for a second you changed your mind about helping me."_

And she was right; I did, for a second. But if my "destiny" stands in the way of helping the people I care about, then it's not the destiny I want for myself.

"_I wouldn't dream of it" _I reply.

"_But you were heading somewhere, right? Carrying a pack like that, and your jacket, going hunting?" _she asks.

"_Something like that." _I say as I climb on Nekko. Thankfully I left the saddle on last night.

"_Let's go" _I gesture my arm at Takai.

"_Oh, alright." _She says and takes my hand _"How do you- woah!"_

I could have gone gentler and let her climb up, but pulling her up was much faster.

Nekko moans as Takai lands on her back. This is exactly why I was hesitant earlier. Her legs are still slightly injured, and this little field trip might take its toll on her. But I don't have a choice. I turn to her and whisper: _"I'm sorry, girl. I know your legs still hurt, but I need you to do me a favor, just this once."_

She looks back at me and purrs. I rubbed her head a little then slapped her on the side and off we went. Takai seems to be having some trouble balancing herself, and I could tell from her eyes that she's trying to contain her screams.

"_Just grab on to me and you'll be fine." _I tell her.

And without hesitation she wraps her arms around me so tight I couldn't breathe for a second. Her body's so pressed against mine that I can hear her heart beating from my back, and it's beating fast, she must be terrified.

"_So, where are we heading first?" _I ask.

"_T-The p-pumpkin patch outside of town, that's where she said she was going." _She replies.

I know that place. That's where I got in trouble for stuffing Jubei's head into a pumpkin. The owner knows me, he's an old friend. And you never forget a kid who shoves his brother's head into your produce and gets one in the face in retaliation.

But I was curious why Takai didn't go there first. It's certainly closer than our house. So I ask her about it. Turns out she did go there, but apparently the owner didn't know anything. Something I found suspicious. I think I'll have a chat with him myself, just to be sure. But if all else fails, I'm hoping Nekko could pick up Old Hem's trail from there.

We arrive at the pumpkin patch much faster than I expected. I get off and let Nekko sniff around as I head towards the owner sweeping his porch.

"_Wait! Don't leave me here!" _Takai frantically says to me.

"_You'll be fine, just grab on the saddle. I'm going to have a talk with the owner." _I say.

"_Can you hurry? Please…"_ she lets out a faint squeal as she hugs the saddle with her entire body.

I'm already in a hurry. I figured that if we find Old Hem soon enough I'd still have time to get to the summit before sundown. That way, I get both done without sacrificing either. Like an old earthbender once said "Two birds, one stone".

The owner takes attention of me and looks my way. And at one glance he knew who I was.

"_Pumpkinhead!" _He yells out.

"_Actually, I'm Pumpkinhead's brother, Squashface." _I jokingly reply.

"_Of course! Hehehe…" _He then grabs my shoulder and looks at me from head to toe.

We might not have seen each other much through the years, especially since my father banned Jubei and I from his farm, but Mr. Ping has always been my friend. Maybe it's his pleasant attitude or the mutual joy we find in pranking people that made that possible.

"_My, you've grown…" _He sighs out.

"_It has been a while, sir." _I say

His expression changes from happy to something I've only seen once from him. It's the same heavy and tortured expression he had when Jinu, his only son, went into war years ago. Jinu always called my father "sir", and every time I hear the word I always remember him. It must be the same for Mr. Ping. I feel I may have made him start worrying again, I should not have said that.

"_So, what brings you here at this hour, Tenkuu?" _he says, shrugging off the pain in his eyes.

"_I'm looking for someone, a woman, middle-aged, graying hair. Her name's Hema, but we call her Old Hem. Seen anyone like that lately?" _I reply.

Mr. Ping pauses for a second, and scratches his beard. The same way he does when he tries to come up with a prank. Something I've seen often enough to know exactly what's going to happen.

He's about to lie.

"_No, not really. Sorry."_

Lie. Definitely a lie. But I have to buy into it for now. If I confront him he's just going to ditch the question and make up an excuse to leave.

"_Anyone ask about her lately?" _I say.

Again, he's scratching his beard, a dead giveaway. It's like he's lost his touch. This can't be the master of tricks and deception who I, as a child, looked up to.

"_Well there was this girl last night… But I told her the same thing. Is she your friend?"_

Not a lie. That can't be right. Maybe he wasn't lying earlier. Maybe it was just him trying to remember. Or he was, but now he isn't because he noticed he gave off a clue and he's throwing me off. No, he's not that clever. Or is he? Am I over thinking again? Sometimes I think I cause my own headaches.

But that aside, I still have to know the truth. I could use the sympathy card on him, just to certain.

"_Yeah, Old Hem's her mother. Takai was up all night looking for her. She's depressed and she's refusing to take a break until her mother has been found."_

He peeks behind me and points. "Is that her?"

I turn around and say _"Yes that's h-" _

My jaw drops as I witness the girl, who just a few minutes ago nearly crushed me from terror, laughing while she jumps over pumpkins riding the same tiger-dog she dared not to ride.

"_Tenkuu! Check this out! I'm riding Nekko and I don't feel like passing out or anything!" _she yells out.

I awkwardly smile at Mr. Ping as I try to think of something else to make him talk.

"_Well, at least something got her mind of it… eh-hehe"_

That was horrible! Why did I say that? Now he thinks I'm lying.

If I was my mother I would have gotten a straight answer with the first question. It's a wonder how she does it so easily; she's a natural at this. I on the other hand, have no people skills.

"_G-Good for her then." _He says with a hint of guilt in his voice with a matching sleeve scratch, another dead giveaway.

Now I'm certain he knows something, and I don't have time to play with words. The sympathy card is surprisingly working; I'll just have to go with it. I break off the smile and sigh.

"_I know there's something you're not telling me, Mr. Ping."_

He scoffs and tries to ditch out, just as I predicted. But I'm not leaving without a straight answer.

I place my hand on his shoulder and tell him about Takai's father who went to war, just like his son. Takai's an only child; she has no other relatives in these areas, just her parents. I met her father a few times when I was a kid, he was a nice man, and Takai and Old Hem really love him. He was what made them feel safe, their guardian, their "rock". But when he went away, they only had each other to keep them strong.

As I tell the story, I realize why Takai was so frantic. Her mother is all she has left. If she loses her too… I can't even think about what would happen, what she'd do.

Mr. Ping starts sobbing. Probably because he could relate, except he's the father, and it's his son who left for war. I don't know which one is worse though. Both are completely horrible. It's another reason why I want to end this war.

"_Please, do it for her." _I say.

He wipes his tears away and clears his throat.

"_I'm sorry if I lied. It's just… she threatened to kill me, and my wife if I talked. A-And I couldn't risk that. She even gave me some money to keep quiet."_

"_Who did?" _I ask.

"_A tall woman, long brown hair, with a tattoo of a snake on her neck, goes by the name Narra."_

He digs into his pocket and hands over a knife.

"_It's her knife. She dropped it here yesterday." _He says

The inscription on the sheath says Narra. It could be a name, but there is a tree named like that, and the sheath is wooden. But even if it's not her name, the knife will suffice, Nekko can track her with it. But we have to start now or we'll end up losing her trail.

I look back at Nekko and Takai who are quite enjoying themselves with the pumpkins.

"_Takai! We got a lead! Let's go." _I shout out.

Takai then commands Nekko to change direction with such ease; I can hardly believe she was ever afraid of riding at all.

I let Nekko sniff the knife then I put it in my pocket.

"_Thank you, Mr. Ping. She won't know anything about this. You'll be safe, I promise" _A promise I intend to keep, no matter the cost.

"_You remind me of him, you know…" _he says.

"_Of who?" _I ask.

"_Jinu." _He replies_ "Always going out of his way to help people. It's the reason why he joined the war in the first place, to help everyone by ending it."_

He chokes up for a bit and then chuckles.

"_It's kind of ironic if you ask me, but I don't see any other options either."_

He bows his head and starts crying. I couldn't hold myself any longer. I give him a big long hug, something I think he's needed for quite a while now.

_"Don't worry." _I say _"Haven't you heard? The Avatar's back, this war's as good as over."_

Then he smiles, but it wasn't an ordinary smile, there was something special to it, something good. And I could tell he'd started hoping again.

I get on and Nekko immediately jolts forward and sends us on our way. For a while she loops around in a circle, but then heads directly for the town.

Takai seems calmer this time. She's still hanging on to me, but she's enjoying the ride. I still can't fathom how she went from being a phobic to a natural rider.

She notices me glancing at her and asks why. I ask her how she managed to do what she did.

"_Learn to face your fears. And the results might surprise you…" _something her father once said to her.

And they did, even I was surprised.

Takai keeps proving me wrong today. First was her unrelenting dedication to find her mother, then it was her new found assertiveness, and now, she's overcome one of her greatest fears. The image of the shy, helpless little girl that I once pictured her to be is now but a memory.

But even so, something does still bother me…

Why did she choose to go to me for help? She knows other people who live closer, and who are a lot more capable than I am, like Tora. Why choose to seek help from the boy who just yesterday she couldn't look straight in the eye in? The one who I assumed she was afraid of.

Should I ask her? I don't think so, not yet. She's in a nice mood for once today and I don't want to ruin that. Maybe when this is all over, I might. And by the rate of how things are going, that's soon.

Nekko stops at the town square and goes one direction after another, stopping then pulling back. Finally, she just stands and moans.

"_What's wrong, Nekko?" _Takai jumps down and stokes Nekko's head.

"_She's stumped" _I say _"Nara's scent must be all around this place, Nekko doesn't know where to go."_

Takai looks to me and asks what we should do next.

"_The only thing we can do, we split up and ask around…" _I reply.

For hours we went around the square, asking anyone from merchants to passer-bys if they'd seen a woman with a snake neck tattoo, but nothing turned up.

It's noon, if we don't find her soon, I won't be able to make it to Mount Yun in time. I'm starting to get frustrated, and the beating sun isn't helping to cool me down either.

I lie down on Nekko under the shade and try to clear out the rage that has been nestling inside me for a while now. Takai comes back and asks if I found any leads.

"_No, nothing. You?" _I reply.

She shakes her head and lies down next to me. The pleasant mood she was in earlier was gone, replaced by the same frustrated expression that I have. I'm starting to feel Takai's strength fading away. Even with her brave face on I can tell that she's starting to lose hope, but I have nothing else up my sleeve. Nekko can't track the tattooed woman; she's obviously spent a lot of time around the square recently and her scent is all over the place. And we would encounter the same problem if we try to track Old Hem.

_I could abandon the search now and head for the Mount Yun. _

_Cut my loses…_

No. I'm not giving up on Old Hem, and I'm certainly not giving up on Takai. She's done and braved through too much to fail now. I just have to think of something… But I'm fresh out of ideas, there are only so few ways to track a person, well, those that I've been taught. I just… I don't want to give up.

We both stare into the clouds, hoping for some miracle to happen. Maybe an epiphany will fall out from the sky or something.

And to my surprise, something does, not an epiphany that's for sure, but a wooden roof tile. It drops and right after, a woman in a hood does. She rolls forward to absorb the fall and her hood falls back revealing her long brown hair and a red snake tattoo on her neck.

"_Hey!" _I shout out.

She takes notice for a moment then looks up and starts to run. I get on Nekko and Takai immediately climbs up. _"Follow her, girl!" _Then Nekko leaps into a run after the woman.

She's quick, and smart, swerving through alleys and running pass groups of people. But she keeps looking up, not at us. I look up and find a man, medium built, wearing light clothing and armed with a set of knives, running through the rooftops. Obviously this chase started even before we joined in, but no one's going to get in my way, not this guy, not these twisting alleys. She's mine.

She makes a break for the stables near the market. A mistake, since I know that place like the inside of my house. We break off her trail and go straight forward. Nekko hesitates for a second, but I think she gets what I'm trying to do.

"_She went that way, Tenkuu!" _Takai yells out.

"_I know! Trust me, this is a shortcut… I think."_

We close into the edge of the road and Nekko jumps right in the middle of the intersection. And right after, the woman slams into her body and gets knocked back to the ground. She won't be getting up anytime soon. Now for her pursuer...

The man jumps down into a roll from the roof and walks up to me.

"_Thanks for the assist, kid. I owe you one." _He says.

I step in front of him and he stares at me with a soul piercing gaze. It doesn't faze me though, and I return the favor. I've stared death in the face once already; this pathetic gawk is nothing.

"_Hold it." _I say. _"I get to talk to her first."_

That sounded a lot less aggravating in my head. It came off as more of the threat than a request. But with time against me and someone's life on the line, I can't afford to play around and be nice.

"_Right, and why should I do that?" _he replies.

"_You owe one, remember?"_

And the stare match continued. Both of us locked into each other's eyes, unflinching, without even a blink. Then he breaks off and smirks.

"_Go ahead then." _He says_ "But I'll be watching you."_

"_Not a problem, I'll be quick." _I say

I drag the woman's body to the nearest alley and stand her up next to the wall.

Her eyes start to open but I notice something else that's moving. With a quick motion, I deflect her attack and take the knife she intended to plunge into my back. Takai almost had a heart attack but I tell her that I'm fine and she sighs in relief. The man just smirks some more.

I take the same knife she used against me and angle it next to her neck as I push her against the wall. She looks at me and scoffs.

"_What are you gonna do with that knife, pretty boy?"_

"_That's up to you." _I reply.

She sneers at me and looks toward the man who was chasing her then looks back to me.

"_Well I'm sure I haven't met you before… What do you want from me? My services, or my… other services?__**" **_she says with the most alluring voice.

"_I'm looking for someone, a woman; you met her yesterday, her name's Hema. Where is she?" _I say.

She squints at me, then turns to Takai and smirks.

"_Let me guess, she's her mother. I could never mistake family resemblances." _She says.

This woman is wasting my time, and I'm getting impatient. I have to speed this up somehow. But she still thinks we're playing a game. That'll change soon enough.

"_Tell me where she is…" _I say as I press the knife closer to her neck.

"_Or what? You'll kill me? That guy over there, he wants me alive. He's not gonna let that happen."_

"_Is that so?" _Then I start to slice some of the skin on her neck.

She flinches and her expression towards me changes. She knows now that I'm not up to playing games. I have no real intention of killing her though; I just have to make her believe that I do. And with the growing frustration showing through my face that's not going to be a problem.

"_He's going to kill you…" _she sneers at me.

He probably will, but since I'm not really going to kill her, that won't be a problem. Still, I have to make seem like I don't give a damn either way. I push the knife even closer, slicing some more of her skin. She cringes and I can see some of her blood running down to her chest.

"_Not if I kill him first…" _I say.

She seems to laugh at the idea, but then she reads the expression on my face. And suddenly I can sense fear in her, like she finally realizes she's about to die. She's not of course, but that's exactly what I want her to feel.

"_Y-You're serious…" _she stammers.

"_Maybe you should take a look at your neck and tell me." _I say, in the most intimidating way I can.

And with that, I had her.

She starts to spill everything. The warehouse heist they attempted; and how she convinced Old Hem to be their decoy in exchange for a specific crate that was inside.

"_You're lying! There's no way my mother would agree to something like that!" _Takai shouts out.

"_Well she did, honey. And it didn't even take much. She was desperate."_

Desperate? Desperate for what? What could Old Hem be so desperate for to agree to thievery? Of course she could be lying, although I can't really think of a reason why, not when she's in this situation.

Now I know what happened, but the most important part is still missing. I ask her again where Old Hem is. She rolls her eyes and sighs.

"_I don't know."_

Then, something ticked inside me. I start to get angrier, and the urge to kill her comes to me. I slide the knife even more and she grunts in pain as blood oozes out from her wound. I glance at her neck to check if I didn't do anything fatal… Then I see her blood.

So red and so thick… And there's a lot of it, a lot for just a simple cut. Luckily it doesn't seem life endangering. It's starting to scare me, fortunately it doesn't show. I take a deep breath and continue to play the remorseless, bloodletting teenager.

"_Don't play with me! You were in charge of that operation!" _I yell.

She bites her lip, probably trying to contain the pain then fixes her raging eyes at mine.

"_Yeah, and it was bust!" _she growls. _"That's why that guy's after me! I failed the guild!"_

_Guild… _I should have known she was a member of the thieves' guild. The hood, the secrecy, the running through roofs, all telltale signs of a thief… or an assassin. But she's not assassinating anyone, which is good for her, seeing that she's being held at knifepoint by a teenager.

Failing the guild must be a grave offense, but I don't care. All I care about is getting Old Hem back. Even if she doesn't know where she is, I could still piece things together if I get enough details.

"_How exactly did you fail?" _I say.

"_Really? Are you actually rubbing this in?" _she snidely comments.

That might have been a poor choice of words. Actually, when I think about it, that was kind of funny, but there's no time for jokes. I tell her that if she tells me all she can remember she'll be free to go, figuratively, the guy from the guild is still going to take her.

She rolls her eyes at me again then agrees just to get it over with.

The thief describes the layout of the warehouse, from its vast inventory space to the security outside. Intent to convince me that the failed heist wasn't her fault, she blames it on one of her "guys", saying that "the newbie was a complete idiot."

Her failure doesn't concern me and I have no time to talk about it. I tell her to talk more about the security and she tells me she remembers something odd about the guards, depicting them as "worn-out" and "looked like they were in a fight".

And with that, I now know exactly where Old Hem is. I push myself back and throw down the knife.

"_Take her." _I say to the man.

He ties her arms and legs then covers the neck wound with a red cloth.

"_You're really something, kid. Would be really handy to have someone like you in the guild" _he says.

"_Sorry, not interested." _I reply.

I run back to Takai and Nekko on the other side of the alley. Takai meets me halfway and stops right in front of me. She's looking down and her shoulders are hunched. Without warning, she pounds my chest with her fists repeatedly.

"_You almost gave me a heart attack, Tenkuu!"_

What is she doing? Is this another one of those social gestures? I don't really get why she's hitting me, but I do know that she's concerned. I guess I should say something.

But before I could another voice yells at me from behind.

"_That farmer's as good as dead, pretty boy!"_

_Damn it. _I forgot that I'm not the only one who can piece ideas together. She must have finally made the connection. No matter, I anticipated this.

I turn back to her and dig my right hand into my pocket.

"_I have no idea what you're talking about." _I say

"_Right, because you just conveniently tracked me down with your tiger-dog" _she replies.

I take out the knife Mr. Ping gave me and wave it around.

"_Actually, yeah, we did…" _I say as I throw the knife at her._ "…Narra"_

She lowers her head and swears. If her hands weren't tied back she might have facepalmed on herself. The guy gags her and carries her on his shoulders.

Good riddance, Narra, if that is her name, I'm still not sure.

I turn back and tell Takai that we should head off. She hesitates for a second, like she wants to tell me something, but then she lets it go and walks with me. I climb up Nekko and help Takai get on.

"_Where are we going?" _she asks.

I slap Nekko on the side and reply.

"_To prison…"_


End file.
